25 million has been spent renovating the St. Mark’s Halls of residence, which re-opened last week.

The new halls boast 526 new rooms with the redevelopment ongoing since the old building was closed in February 2012.

According to a University briefing, the redevelopment was a priority because it provided the opportunity to develop “new, high-quality bed spaces close to the University.” The re-opening takes place despite the current 5000+ housing surplus in Leeds and a drop in student numbers of 12%.

The University said it hoped the new halls would be “in line with increasing student expectations and in response to growing competitiveness of the university marketplace.”

One third-year English student spoke about the renovation, saying: “They were in definite need of improvement. The new halls are much better.”

Amongst other problems with the previous halls, they were known for being cramped and having poor facilities, having been constructed at a low cost.

The new St. Mark’s welcomed a new intake of students at the beginning of September.

Sean Hayes

Photo: Sam Broadley